Camera cranes are often used in motion picture and television production. The motion picture or television camera is typically mounted on a camera head on a telescoping crane arm supported on a mobile base, dolly, or truck. The camera head may be remotely controlled to aim the camera lens at the desired subject. The camera head typically is “under slung” with the top end of the head attached to the outer end of the crane arm. A pivoting attachment may be used, to allow the camera head to self-align via gravity with a pendulum-like movement.
Camera heads tend to be relatively bulky, in comparison to the camera itself. This results because the camera head must be structurally rigid, to provide fast and precise camera movements. The camera head must also be large enough to accommodate a range of camera sizes. For certain film sequences that require the camera to move through a narrow space, such as through a window or doorway, it is often necessary to re-orient the camera head. Depending on the type of camera head and crane used, this can be a relatively time consuming process. In view of high production costs, time saving equipment is advantageous. Although existing camera head designs may be re-oriented in varying amounts of time and difficulty, engineering challenges remain in providing equipment allowing for quick and easy reorientation of a camera head.